Across the Board
by Poison-Laced
Summary: Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland.Alice is taken back to Underland after the demise of the White Queen.Alice is the next successor to the throne but there are trials to be passed before she can claim the crown .Hatter is waiting to escort his majesty .
1. Prologue

**Heylo there my little crumpets .  
This fic is based on Alice in Wonderland by the wonderful Tim Burton .  
Alice/ Hatter pairing .  
I'm rating this M for later chapters .**

_**Well into the world of fanfiction I leap after … eh lord knows how long . Whyyy ? Because I simply could not leave the ending of the movie where it was D: lets be honest … the entire movie was EPIC … until the end . Buttt that's just my personal opinion so neeeh . Obviously this is the Prologue therefore will be shorter than the following chapters . Setting the scene really . And yes the prologue is very unorganized and for that i apologise .  
I assure you it wont be the case with the rest of the story do bare with me :]  
Oh yes and sorry for the long Authors Note . Keel me not dear readers .**_

Prologue

In Underland she was ,The Alice . Now , she was just an Alice , one Alice in a world of many . She made no difference to everyday life with her presence .  
And so days dragged out into weeks and then weeks into months and not a word she spoke of Underland . Upon the first day of her return she had stepped forward with confidence – her first step – Rejecting the perfectly vile Hamish on his equally vile proposal of marriage . She had left him spluttering at the little house in the garden , his mother cooing obscenities about Alice's character in his ear for comfort .

_ " Misleading Harlot"  
" Unspeakable girl "  
" No pride"  
" No shame"  
" No manners"  
" No future"_

The rest of the guests gathered for their engagement party were at a loss for what to do with themselves with this turn of events .

Many withdrew gifts , gold , business proposals . Of course she knew her reputation would be tarnished . Gossip would spread and Hamish's dear mother in her high status position would have every mans mother protecting their beautiful baby boys from setting eyes on the evil and completely out of her mind ,Alice Kingsley .  
After the Hamish incident was out of the way Alice's life turned back to much the way it was before falling down the rabbit hole . It was now however missing something . Excitement ,adrenaline , being needed . Well ... she was still needed… for pouring dainty cups of teas and learning how to act " proper " .  
Corsets , lace , chin up , be seen not heard , sit straight , hands on lap , right hand over left , nod politely when indulging in conversation , laugh at un funny jokes , be sane , be a lady , be completely and utterly not Alice.

She was growing bored but more than anything her heart began to break . She was mad , mad as the Hatter , well not quite , but she was mad enough , most certainly , most definitely , to belong in Underland . Yet , she had left it . For a second time in her life she had left the fantastical land where cats could grin and float , mice could talk and blue caterpillars smoked hookah . She inwardly began to hate herself because unlike the first time she fell into Underland , this time she had been given a choice . Stay or go . Stay or go . She went .  
Her dreams did little to calm her . For every night , the same luminous green eyes invaded her mind and it was the little mournful whisper of her name that truly caused her heart to split .  
_" Alice . "_

Time passed.

Alice's porcelain face grew tired . She no longer looked after her beautiful locks . Split ends… she didn't care . Alice was hollow . Boredom had developed into something more . Loss of purpose . The same dream had repeated since her return from Underland . It tormented her . She no longer knew if she hated Hatter or adored him . If she wanted to rid him from her dreams or if she wanted more . She didn't know if she wanted to be awake or asleep . Awake she was mournful , good for nothing , silent and withdrawn . A shadow of the Alice who defeated the Jabberwocky with the Vorpal sword . Asleep she was constantly reminded of the companionship she lost .

_Those eyes.._

Her hands clenched the desk she sat at ,her pencil balanced between two delicate fingers . She had taken up sketching as a passion . No one could make her leave her room any more . She would sit with her face darker than the London skys at social gatherings . No one wanted her there . Without her they could pretend nothing was wrong with the world while they sat indulging in gossip and teacakes .

Her eyes scanned the drawing she had partially completed . She had tried to capture her adventures in Underland in pictures in order not to forget, not to mistake her encounters for a dream once again . Hatter was at the centre of her grey and white masterpiece . It wasn't that she didn't miss her other friends ,its just she felt more of a connection with Hatter . Perhaps because he had more human features , perhaps because it was his eyes that haunted her dreams . Perhaps because he had taken her wildest imaginations and made them possible . To be completely mad wasn't a bad thing . Not really . Alice continued her half life , she filled her room with memories .  
It was a year later when the promise of something new arose .

Her window was open . In the years passing Alice had let herself grow thinner , unhealthy . She could be mistaken as the walking dead , pale and unnaturally thin , panda eyes . Nothing could get her attention .Several drawings she had given up on sat crumpled in a pile on the floor . It was different today though . She sat on her window seat staring out longingly into the gardens . How long since she had ran carelessly through the greenery ?  
It was then a glint of blue that caught her eye . A butterfly and immediate recognition , desperate recognition crossed her features .

"Absolom! " , she was at a loss to contain herself . Her reaction was reaching hysteria . He was much too small and fragile to hug so instead she wrapped her arms around herself before extending her finger for him to rest on .  
He refused to take her finger and kept nudging her hand . It was a moment before she realised he held a bottle in his arms .

Drink me

She was full of jitters . Her smile on the verge of complete craze .  
She took the tiny bottle and drank its entire contents . Her heart pulsed franticly as Absolom then winged down to the tiny Alice and picked her up before flying out the window and into the open sky . He was taking her in the direction of the Rabbit hole . He was taking her to Underland .

What Alice did not stop to think about in all her happiness , was why she was needed back in Underland again.


	2. Chapter 1

**OOkiee Chapter 1 is up o.o 2 chapters in 2 days**

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**And thank you to those that have reviewed , and all of those that find my story worthy enough to be added to story alerts etc its a wonderful thing to wake up to really.**

**And so without further delay ....**

**-----**

The wind whipped Alice's hair around her face as Absolom held her as they flew .  
She looked up at him as they travelled but decided against starting a conversation with him.

It was clear he didn't have much regard for her and he looked especially grumpy now that she could see his features clearly . It was a task he'd been set she was sure . To come and collect her . She could only imagine that the once fat and chain smoking caterpillar was none to amused at all the extra exercise . She did wonder though , did he still smoke constantly after his transformation? It must be very stressful that he cant lounge about as before . Now that he has wings he must perch uncomfortably on the side of everything . Poor Absolom . The side of her mouth curled up at the image . How positively cruel .  
He tightened his grip on her arms that were much too thin .  
" And , who , are, you ? " , he rumbled .  
She felt her stomach tighten . Surely Absolom wouldn't drop her if she gave an undesirable answer , would he? She felt his gaze fix intently on her .  
" Alice . " , she ventured .

There was a stretch of silence as the hills moved beneath them , grass , trees . She could see the manor where Hamish had asked her hand and where her reputation as a " charming " young woman was sullied . She could see the green hedges . She could see the edge of the forest , where her beloved entrance resided .

Alice felt Absolom inhale deeply ,  
" You are not what you say you are , you are closer to that which wasn't and now Alice is an isn't . " , he eyed her before fluttering forward at a faster pace , " You are not what we seek . You are not what we need."  
Not this again she groaned internally .

His silly riddles had made everyone doubt her identity the previous time she was in Underland . She didn't fight him though for she knew what he meant .

She wasn't Alice anymore . Underland had taken her heart . The real world crushed it . What she was now was a mere shell of what she was before . That would change though . She hadn't been Alice before but she had been again hadn't she? She gave herself an inward slap for sounding like Absolom .  
Whatever she was needed for in Underland she would do it . She was desperate , so desperate . What could be worse than what happened last time she was needed ? She just hoped , wished ,pleaded within herself , that this time she would also be given a choice to stay again or go . She knew now that she would not break herself in the same way again . She would stay , damn this world she thought furiously , damn this world and its lack of crazy , mad and wonderful people .

This was the first hope she had allowed herself since life had taken a dip to the pits .Since she realised she doesn't belong in the sensible world with ordinary people . She had never hoped that he would be able to enter Underland again . After all she had done her task . The White Queen was on the throne and her sister was in exile . But now , now she held hope for a future , hope for adventure . Her smile looked odd on her face , her cheeks had no flesh . She would go to Underland and she would find the Alice she lost .  
Absolom flew lower , lower , lower , and suddenly he let her go and without so much as a goodbye, she was falling . Pianos , clocks , mattresses , big things ,small things , tiny things , papers , desks , everything from everywhere falling passed her in a chaotic arrangement .

---

She landed hard on the marble floor . Just like before , but this time her body was weak . There was a sickening snap as the marble collided with her ankle and from her parted lips she couldn't suppress a scream of pain . To further her torment she was still tiny and had to reach the key on top of the glass table . She rolled onto her stomach and shuffled across the floor wincing as she did so . Her body was heavy and her breaths were forced . She was so tired suddenly. She saw the little piece of cake that read " Eat me" less than a few inches away and forced herself towards it . " Almost there " , she whispered grabbing a corner of icing and pushing it towards her lips . Her tiny form expanded and stretched . There was nothing to hold onto so she pressed herself back against the wall hoping that she wouldn't fall from the pressure on her ankle . She grabbed the key and opened the little glass bottle of liquid that accompanied it and drank the contents down .

She shrank at a dizzying speed and collapsed against the floor . She struggled as far as putting the key in the lock of the small door then lost herself to darkness as she slipped out of consciousness .

**---**

She mumbled incoherently as she awoke . Her heavy body was half in the marble room that she had arrived in and half way outside it . There was a slight chill in the air although it was mostly tolerable .A moon glinted in the sky bathing the paths in front of her in shimmering rays of silver. It would have been the most beautiful sight , if not for her aching ankle . She groaned sleepily and after a few moments found herself able to limp – poorly – but at least she could stand to some extent . If Absolom had brought her here , assumedly because someone had told him to do so , why was no one waiting for her ? Alice scowled at the darkness , squinting her eyes to see if she could spot anyone , any shadows in the dark , the eyes that haunted her dreams , the man that dominated her sketches . " Hello?" , her voice was little more than a whisper afraid to draw un wanted attention .

Alice , although curious ,was not on a suicide mission . She knew that her knowledge of Underlands creatures was lacking and didn't wish to find herself in a compromising situation . She shuffled forward down some stone steps . She vaguely recalled where Hatter drank his tea , she knew no where else that she could go in her immediate condition . To the tea table then…

**---**

He watched the delicate young female painfully make her way across the land . She was much smaller than she should be . She must have drank the shrinking liquid to get through the door . How terribly troublesome .He knew which direction she was headed , it was his way after all . His pale features were almost luminous in the night .

His green eyes catching magically against the moon light .

Oh yes he had heard her whispered call and had shrunk back into the darkness to avoid her searching gaze . True he had never mistaken Alice , no never . Even when she transformed from a young and curious little angel to the woman who overthrew the Red Queen and assisted the Kingdom greatly with her bravery ..but watching this lady limping… And how thin , how sick , how un natural she looked .

Was it quite possible that Absolom had picked up the wrong female ? The wrong blonde curls , the wrong blue eyes … no, even at a distance he could tell who she was , even so small as she was . For once the Mad Hatter had no mad or crazy comments to make . The picture he was seeing was wrong , very very wrong . It sobered him if it were ever possible .Underland had lost one of its most precious beings and the future of Underland was currently physically weak and struggling to even stand properly .

He knew it was wrong of him to watch her especially while she was in pain .

He could see her ankle was at an angle it shouldn't be . He could so simply stroll up to her and ease her burden of walking , but no .  
He watched never blinking , slowly moving to catch up discreetly each time she was about to move out of sight . His gaze fixed on the shadow that was Alice . A mixture of emotions swelled inside him which prevented him from interfering . He was at a loss . Here was Alice after all the time he had spent mourning her presence . It was he who had suggested she stay .. and she did not .

Who was he to think she might have understood his small suggestion as pleading with her . She left . He dreamt of her , haunted by her eyes . Was he such an undesirable friend to have? Ah but it was Alice ,she still had her Muchness , he could tell by the way she proceeded towards his tea table through the woods on a bad ankle , that she had not lost her Muchness . Indeed his Alice was a very Muchful person ,and she would have to be for what her future required .

Her future . A sea of guilt flooded over him .

It was by law in Underland that each Queen should write a will early in her life , in case of unfortunate assassinations or accidents , illnesses …. Within the wills of Queens one would name her successor . A Queen could change who she wanted to succeed her right up until her dieing moment . The White Queen had chosen Alice ,Slayer of the Jabberwocky . Not only would she be bound to the Underland she would not be permitted to leave . Indeed the death of the White Queen had toss Underland into despair . Even that damned Cheshire cat did not grin . With that thought in his head he felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle and a hot , wet tongue stroke the flesh on the back of his neck.

" Tarrent " , purred Cheshire rolling around in his unique smoke like fashion through the air infront of Hatter .  
Hatter tried to look round the annoyance that was Cheshire to keep an eye on the breakable little doll that was still walking un escorted through the woods .  
" Ah so shes back is she " , the silky voice purred . Hatter waved him off and shushed him harshly his flicked brows set in a frown . So much for being sly .  
" Ohh alright Tarrent , if that's the way you want it " , Cheshire made a further nuisance of himself by turning himself invisible and circling Hatters feet .

He tripped several times until eventually his eyes flickered between rage and his voice dropped to a low ,albeit threatening Scottish accent , " Yeh fix yersel' puss or we'll see how ye dew wi a boot o'er yer heed , till the morn' " , he lowered his voice even further , " Mah boot , ye wee hell cat "

Immediately Cheshire stopped his antics but instead allowed his mouth to re appear and grin up at the infuriated Hatter . He contained himself , for the moment and focused his attention back to the little Thumbelina crossing the woodland floor .

**---**

Alice was aching . Her eyes were dropping closed and her shoulders were slumped . Her ankle was un bearable .She didn't even know if anyone would be at the Hatters table . She wished more than anything just for a sanctuary . If anywhere in Underland could be called such , it was most definitely the Hatters table .Well unless you counted the hunting dogs and that vile man Stayne . Well it perhaps wasn't the most safest of sanctuaries…but it was familiar . The walk seemed so much longer due to pain , and very much due to her smallness . At last she could see the table .  
It was empty but a jacket was draped over the back of the chair at the end of the table .

His chair .

She was getting closer and closer . A small pained smile tugging at her lips … until she reached the bottom of the chair . It was too tall . She couldn't reach up , not as she was now , nor did she have the strength . She did however move to the back of the chair and pull at a piece of material from the jacket that just dusted the ground . The entire thing fell on top of her and she got a strong waft of his scent . It was a dizzying sensation .

Hatters jacket . She swam through the folds of material until she was on top of it . It was there within the comfort and warmth of his jacket that she slept , tiredness and aching limbs overtaking all other senses .

She was not aware of the pale faced man that stepped out from the trees behind her ,

watching her actions with confused eyes .

Not to mention , she was getting his good jacket dirty , being all on the ground like that .


	3. Chapter 2

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**And yes sorry for posting Chapter 2 twice , I accidentally forgot to double space , and then I like to play around with the layout before letting people read it , but neee **

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Enjoy ~**

Tarrent was mad . Yes incredibly so , but lately he had fluctuated between feeling solemn , and being incredibly furious .

His temper had been extraordinarily sensitive since Alice had left Underland and only worsened after the death of their Queen .The majority of Underland was greatly effected by the absence of the White Queen but it was he that had stood over her glass casing for hours after the funeral service had finished . So weighed down with guilt and sorrow as he heard the Queens wishes being read .

" Alice , Slayer of the Jabberwocky will be crowned Queen of Underland when the last breath of me has left my body . Alice, Slayer of the Jabberwocky will be crowned Queen of Underland if ever I am physically , or mentally un able to continue my ruling . "

No he didn't feel guilt at the wish or rather demand its self , but at his own feeling. It was a day for sorrow , complete and utter heartbreak was all around and what did he feel but the sickening opposite?

How his heart had pounded , thrilled at the prospect of the pretty little girl that was so full of Muchness it overflowed and effected those around her . Well ,she wasn't so little was she now . Not at all by human standards . Infact if he were to examine her a little closer he would say that she had developed into quite the young lady .

Underland was a timeless place , as was its inhabitants .

The Mad Hatter himself had only aged so much before he was stuck in an ageless circle . He had personally lost count of his age - as had most of the creatures in Underland , not much point in keeping track really .

But now he looked down at Alice , and her petite little figure sprawled out comfortably on his jacket . His good jacket - ah how that thought nagged him . Well not so good anymore now was it . Its velvet folds dirtied by dust and mud where it had been dragged down to the ground from the chair .  
It served him right he supposed . He should have been there for her . He knew it was why she headed in the direction of his table after all . Friendship , familiarity . He had not given it ...so what else could she do but pull down his good jacket and proceed to lay on it ? It was a comfortable jacket he could agree . He didn't know why he had left it behind really . Walking at night with nothing but a thin silken shirt and his usual black and white striped trousers wasn't exactly the best way to safeguard against the chill .

Alice had taste ,he had to admit , for the finer things in life. The second most fine thing to be precise . The first would be his beloved hat , the jacket followed a close second .

He looked down at her for a good few minutes before taking a handkerchief out from his shirt sleeve and stuffing it inside a large teacup – finally a rescue plan for is jacket .

He carefully picked up the sleeping Alice using extra caution for her ankles sake and placed her inside the tea cup producing another handkerchief to act as a cover of some sort . It would do until the morning . Then he would see about that ankle… and then about the mess she had made of herself , naughty girl not taking care of herself good and proper . Then they had to talk of matters of utmost importance . Well perhaps after hugging her in the most scandalous way possible . He sat down in his chair and watched over the sleeping doll as she slept sound soundly , cradling the teacup in his hands .

---

Alice awoke bleary eyed and she vaguely registered that she was now occupying something circular with hard white walls . Not only did she not recall getting here , it was moving! She sat up franticly only to give a screech of pain as her ankle protested . " Auuughhh " , she fumed . It was never easy was it . No never . It never was . She balled up her fists in the covers that she didn't remember having before she went to sleep and glared up at her surroundings only to fall back against a white wall in fright as her blue eyes met the florescent mixture of yellow green .

" Careful now you silly girl . " , his voice bounced excitedly as he held the teacup to his face ,"I was beginning to wonder when you'd wake up , I've been waiting ever so long you know . "  
Alice looked up at him . The Hatter . Her mouth was open in speechless joy at his presence .

So he was here! Where had he been hiding?  
Seeing her wordless mouth agape he took the opportunity to turn the cup gently out on to his hand leaving her sitting in the middle of his palm .  
" Hello Cricket " , his grin stretched wide with insane happiness and fulfilment which mirrored her own . Alice , being too small to throw her arms around him properly ,settled on tossing herself at his nearest finger and proceeded to squeeze it like a boa constrictor . He simply grinned at her as she rubbed her face against the middle of his forefinger .

" Oh Hatter I've missed you so impossibly much , what's happened ? where is everyone else ? I thought id die In London everyone was so dreadfully sensible, not like you , you mad , insane , wonderful man ! "

He gave a laugh out loud tossing his head back as he did and shuffled between this foot and that clearly finding it difficult to contain himself , " I'd be tossing you up in the air and all around , if not for your condition . " He eyed her ankle with a look that seemed to accuse her of carelessness  
She opened her mouth to protest that it wasn't her fault , that if anything it was because Absolom dropped her too high up from the Rabbit hole , but he promptly silenced her . " Hush hush Alice , chitter chatter will commence momentarily , but first " , he whisked out a small slice of cake from his pocket and dropped it in his palm , " Eat " .

He braced himself as she took a bite and her little body quickly stretched back to her human height . As she grew she felt the Hatters arms adjust around her so that she didn't fall to the ground .Seconds later she found herself , an ordinary sized Alice in the not so ordinary situation of being pressed firmly into one Mad Hatters chest and being held by two surprisingly firm arms . She made to move but his grip tightened , " Your ankle you silly girl , keep the pressure off it " .  
He looked down at her one eyebrow raised as her face flushed a most adorable pink shade ,

" Right then " , he said as he took a lively step forward towards the small cottage just beyond his tea table . To further her embarrassment at her compromising situation he continued , " Oh and really you must make that colour again for me some time " , looking towards her cheeks , " I do believe that colour would make quite a wonderful hat for someone . "

He smiled down at her kindly while Alice glared up at him . He clearly wasn't familiar with the concept of blushing . Or he was , and hid it with his well placed mask of insanity . Her ankle however was very much thankful towards his actions . Pressure off indeed .

---

Tarrent , if he was to admit to himself , would say that feeling the weight of Alice in his arms was a comforting one after her long absence .

Yes he had noticed the pink tint of her cheeks for what it was but he couldn't resist catching on to it with a ridiculous comment .  
He had always been a rather isolated being if one didn't count the tea gatherings with various woodland creatures that had the ability to chitter and chatter . Despite tea drinking with them , very few knew him beyond the title " Mad Hatter "… well there was the Cheshire cat who knew his birth name , but that was given out in a very unfortunate situation when tea mixing .  
He could vaguely recall the moment .

_" A little more brandy in there Hatter " , purred the feline . He poured ._  
_" Now come on a little more " , growled Cheshire , " Since when is the Mad Hatter shy of a bit of a kick in his tea?"_

_Tarrent recalled scowling thinking the taste of tea would be totally over whelmed by the brandy . How right he was but surely , experimentation could only result in…well ,results ._  
_In went the brandy . In went the straw . Out went the Mad Hatters mind – Or what was left of it ._  
_According to Cheshire , who in a detailed description recalled the events that followed , Tarrent had his arm round a tree and slurring something along the lines of " cooommnn..mii …guudd ..fwend…cawll..meh…Tarrent…ooh …yuuuh must ! "_

It was just unfortunate that Tarrent was the only word he had spat out correctly.

---  
With one foot he kicked the door of his cottage open and returned his thoughts to Alice .

Never had he such regard for any creature before .Never had any creature such regard for him before . Many stayed away because of his known temper , others didn't seem to care . His eyes fixed themselves on an empty spot of air as he zoned out but was snapped to attention by the little voice in his arms .

" Hatter? Is everything alright?" , she inquired . Ah yes he was fine , more fine than he had been in several months , or over..  
He gave a sharp nod, " Quite Cricket , not to worry " he walked over to a large plump , overly stuffed , red mattress and set her down comfortably .

He saw her open her mouth presumably to question once again about several answers that would take far more than a five minute answer . He cut her off before she got the chance to speak , " We will discuss questions and other delicacies later , but first we cant have you stalking around on that bad ankle now , can we? " .  
He gave her a tight smile and upon her small reply of , " No..I suppose that it would be very inconvenient " he bound off somewhere else in the cottage .  
His absence was soon followed by clattering of what sounded like glass ,pans and jars the clattering was promptly followed by a few foul words with a low and very Scottish accent to which Alice yelled " Hattter!" He replied quickly with a squeak of " Yes!...I'm Okay! "

…and the fumbling continued .

Alice lay back on the puffy mattress she now inhabited . Her eyes roamed around the room .

How curious , curious and curiouser .From what she could see this was the Hatters bedroom ,which would explain the mattress . The floor seemed the same all the way through the house . Old greyish looking wood that desperately called to be replaced . She was sure there must be termites living in there . There was nothing perfectly un usual about the Hatters bedroom , nothing like she would have expected . Perhaps a bit broken , drab and a bit of a mess but nothing that screamed ODD or WEIRD .

The walls were lined with black and grey wall paper that seemed to peel at the upper corners and he had a few golden clocks that were all set to different times hanging from dangerous angles on the walls . Interesting look for a cottage . Her eyes scanned the room once more before she finally decided , yes , the cottage has been long in need of a womans touch .Sooner or later the clattering outside had come to a stop and his light hearted footsteps could be heard making their way back to her .

He was grasping a bowl within two of his hands as he re entered the bedroom . He looked down at the greenish paste that he had made feeling quite proud of himself for such quick work . Just a store of herbs he had for emergencies crushed up with a little water and a hint of sugar just for the thought . This particular remedy should successfully be able to fix an ankle break within a few blinks of an eye and approximately 67 twists of a Cheshire cats head , but just to be safe he would guess , roughly about 30 minutes after application she should be good as new .

He sat at the edge of the bed with the little bowl of paste and began the process of removing her socks and shoes .  
Alice whipped her head up her face suddenly scarlet , " What do you think your doing ! "  
Tarrent looked shocked by her sudden outburst and he held up the bowl as if it explained everything, " Shush shush " , he said softly a concentrated frown appearing on his face as he levered her dainty little foot onto his lap , " Might be a little cold though "  
Alice frowned as he dipped a few of his slender fingers in the paste and reached over to her faulty ankle to smooth it on .

She couldn't help her breath hitching as he did so . Partially because yes indeed the mixture was cold , but also ,she had never had a man do these kind of things for her -even when she was a small girl she would just bare the little cuts and bruises the received from her adventures in the garden or elsewhere .

She was amazed at how gentle he was being , and how the slight brush of his fingers as he rubbed the strange mixture in didn't cause her any pain . Which was odd really since the slightest movement of her ankle before had her squealing . She watched his face … how concentrated he was .

For a few minutes she watched him dip into the paste and rub it into her delicate skin before the bowls contents was empty .

He looked up at her , the smallest of smiles on his lips , " Shouldn't be too long now , you' ll be good as new soon enough . " , at his comment he frowned again.

She wouldn't be good as new though would she ? He could basically see the bones poking out of her skin . He would fix that to , but it seems that whatever mood had caused her to disregard her bodily needs so badly had disappeared upon her return to Underland .

He would perhaps ask a few questions of his own after she had her chance to ask hers . Although he couldn't see his questions baring much importance after they had their little " chitter chatter " .  
Alice watched Hatters features move between emotions and she decided to break the silence , " Thank you Hatter , its working , I can feel it putting everything back into place . I feel rather like a jigsaw puzzle . "

He looked at her with a little amusement in his eyes , " Of course it works , I made it myself " , he paused , then lifted his hand once again to her ankle , but aimed just above it and patted gently .

The twinkle in his eyes faded, " Alice ,we really do have to talk . We're awfully late you know… "


	4. Chapter 3

**Updateee!  
And yes  
1- I found out that Tarrant's name is spelt " Tarrant" and not " Tarrent" so my bad .  
It will be written as " Tarrant" from now on .  
2- Also how do you feel about how fast the story is moving along. Is my pace right or am I being moving along too quickly?**

**3 -The reviews make me smilez . Chapter makes you smilez . We can all smilez.  
Make me smilez again and you gets another update . Wooo.  
sooo .…. Without further interruption  
Enjoy ~**

**---**

Alice watched Hatter become sober as he looked at her with solemn eyes . Apparently whatever was to be talked about was a distressing topic .  
Her foot was still on his lap where he had applied the healing paste and her ankle was putting itself back together wonderfully .  
" What is it Hatter?" , she asked prompting him to talk .

" Oh Alice " , he sighed , his voice thick and laced with sorrow . How could one become so sad so fast?  
" Things have happened , Cricket , terrible things " , she felt him shuffle uncomfortably , " But first , did you know that Underland has a history? A great ,great, wonderful history . "  
He pulled a tight smile and continued , " So many successful Kings and Queens have ruled with justice , kindness and the hint of insanity that makes us who we are . Its in each and every person you know . Insanity. "  
Alice watched and smiled gently as he continued , " From the beginning of time as we know it , we have always had a Monarch to trust ,to fight for ,to entertain , to serve . The entire Underland dedicates itself to its Ruler , a bond between land and Monarch . In the young days of a King and or Queens rule they write a special kind of will which names their successor in event of death or extreme illness . Its usually the King that does this rather than the Queen… The new King would choose a new Queen through matrimony ."

What a curious thing , " But Hatter , you only had a Queen , the White Queen , so would she have to do the duties that would normally belong to a King ? "

At her comment his face glazed over into an adoring look of reminiscence , " Ah yes but our Queen was a lovely ,wonderfully mad and strong lady . A flower that grew and bloomed and brought fragrance and beauty to the lands . She did the absolute best job of caring for Underland and its subjects with such care and compassion . Underland didn't need a King with her on the throne . "

Alice could have cringed at the tone of his voice .  
Its true that she had no possession over the Hatter but it was the Hatter she had missed in all those hopeless and lifeless hours she had spent in London .  
She considered him the best of her friends , and indeed her most favourite man apart from her beloved deceased father . Not a man in the world had been able to stand in such high respects in Alice's mind , but then again , Hatter wasn't exactly from ' her world ' was he?

Was she wrong to expect that he would have considered her in the same type of respect? She internally slapped herself .  
Silly Alice . He would have been busy here in Underland , doing all types of crazy things that he always did . Hatting people , drinking tea and serving his beloved Queen . Still… his clear adoration for the beautiful woman stung Alice .

Tarrant was confused at the flicker of emotions that crossed Alice's features . He had paused and she seemed not to notice .

Sadness seemed the last thing on her face which was crumpled into a very slight albeit pretty little frown . Which bothered him . He had never been one to pay attention to tenses or grammar in general really but he was careful to use past tenses when referring to Underlands dear and dead White Queen .  
It was his figuring that Alice might pick up on it by herself but her mind seemed else where .

Alice was broken out of her line of thought as his silky voice continued in its story telling . It wasn't normal for him to talk so seriously for so long with such a saddened and morbid look on his face . What did she know though , she was just Alice .

" It became custom that if the King and Queen had children , the crown would be passed down to any sons born . If there was no son it would be passed to the eldest daughter . The crown has a life of its own you know . It reacts terribly if someone outside its original blood line tries to take it . Our White Queen did not have to find her crown because it was simply passed down to her by her parents . However if the King or Queen does not have any children , leadership is passed to whoever has been mentioned in the wills I spoke of , but the crown will not accept one that isn't of the blood it knows . " , he gave her a scorching look that stressed utmost importance , " A King or Queens crown in Underland does not only represent power , it _is _power . A King or Queen without a crown is not a King or Queen at all . If a successor to the throne does not have a fitting crown they must search far and long across the land for the correct ingredients needed to make it . That crown will then be bound to the new King or Queen and the rest of their bloodline until it dies out . "

" Ingredients ?" , she queried .

" Of course " , he responded , " How can you make a crown without the right ingredients?"

How curious , " But isn't a crown only made of gold , Hatter? "

He allowed himself a small chuckle despite the serious conversation , " What a ridiculous thought , who told you that nonsense ?" , he lifted a hand to cover the smile his mouth was stretched with . What a crazy little pretty thing she turned out to be . He always knew she would .

" Well I.." , she started , only to be cut off by Hatters wave of a hand .

" Quiet yourself " , he interrupted , " I'm not finished ."

He took a breath and continued , being sane was such work , but this situation needed the sanity . It was only right .He only hoped he could get it over with as quickly and as painlessly as possible .

" Each crown worn by a different bloodline needs different ingredients , which are found out before sending the successor off on his or her quest to collect them . The ingredients will , when melded correctly upon the successors return , bind themselves to the new Rulers very soul line when fitted upon their head in the form of the new crown . The Kings and Queens of Underland are very much attached to their position ." , he stopped and tried to carefully place his next words to the alert eyes that were fixed on him.

" Alice " , he caught her gaze and held it within his luminous green orbs , " A successor has been named ."

This line caught her off balance and for a few moments her mind was blank and both were silent .  
The White Queens successor ? The White Queen was sick? The White Queen was dead ?  
Alice's skin paled . Whatever the case the pretty woman she had met on her last visit to Underland was in such a condition that she could no longer rule over her beloved subjects . Alice suddenly felt a sinking feeling and her eyes pricked with tears of shame as she remembered , just a few moments ago , she had resented the woman for holding the love of those she ruled , well , of one Hatter she ruled anyway . She tried not to grant access to the tears that threatened to drip down her face and took a shuddering breath , " Is she…"  
Alice couldn't bring herself to say the word death in relation to the White Queen .

Tarrant couldn't believe that she needed confirmation . Couldn't she see the pain in his eyes ? Why must she make him say it? Didn't she have half a mind ,or surely at least half more than him ?!  
His eyes tainted a brighter and more yellow shade – sanity snapped , " Dead?" , he suddenly stood up and tall causing Alice's , not quite healed foot to fall from his lap which provoked a small gasp from her lips that now quivered. He appeared fearsome to Alice who shrunk back into the mattress . The tears that had threatened before were now falling freely in the light of Hatters apparent anger but he didn't seem to notice.

" DEED !" , he yelled spreading his arms wide as if announcing it to the world ,a thick accent penetrating the air, " Mare deed thun those wi oot thur heeds thut populated the bloody Red Queens river ! Mare deed than the blood splatter aff a cackroach under the boot aff a careless wanderer ! Mare deed than death its self! Disease infected hur bonnie heart und poisoned hur fram the inside ." , he slammed his fists against a wall and continued in an equally demented but lower voice , " A bloody creature she tried tae save the very life aff carried infected blood , Its blood stained hur precious skin and seeped thrae it . She suffered faer months . Pain wreaked thrae hur every bloody day . Pain wuz all there bloody was and I hud to bloody watch as it took hur precious life and now theres yih . Yer the successor aff the damned throne and damned be us all if yih dinni succeed in finding the bloody crown to secure yer place on the throne . Underland will fall ."

He ended his rant on a particularly venomous note but a small sound pulled him out of his mindless fury .

The fury went as quick as it came – it always did as such .  
Alice was sobbing openly into the mattress refusing to look at him . It also occurred to him that her ankle was hanging over the side of the mattress due to his flinging it off in his rage . Tarrant felt an unspeakable amount of guilt wash over him , and rightly so . He did it all wrong , he was insensitive , he was utterly horrible . What kind of man was he? Mad or not he made the small female cry . He started to reach his hands towards her but then pulled them back not knowing if she would want him anywhere near her .  
His eyes were fixed on the distressed female and her shaking shoulders .

He felt that any amount of words would be inadequate for what he had just done and the information he had just revealed so heartlessly . Removing his beloved hat he held it between his hands and kept his head down at a loss for what to do .

Alice felt humiliated at how hard she was sobbing in front of Hatter after his outburst but really that seemed to be the very least of her worries .

Her entire future seemed to be spelled out to her in the outstanding amount of rage she had just witnessed . She was back in Underland and she had been happy at the first thought , she would have defeated any type of monster , creature or evil villain if it meant she could then live in this land with her friends in peace and bliss afterwards .

Live the insane life that she had so lacked in London .

It seemed however that her presence was the result of a much bigger issue and a terrible loss and she ached for it . The White Queen truly had been a kind woman and by time Alice had returned home after her last visit she had included the White Queen amongst the list of her friends . Hatters anger only made the heart breaking throb in her chest worse . Although Alice would have accepted the mission , since really she had no choice , and there was no way she wanted to return to the drab life that England offered . He did not however have to be so impossibly heartless about the way he told her such detail . Unless of course she meant so little to him that her feelings did not count .

She could feel his eyes on her body and a new wave of sobs shook through her . His anger had startled her and that paired with the news of the White Queens death brought her close to hysteria – if she was not already there .  
Alice had been reserved for so many months . She didn't interact much and most certainly didn't let her feelings out the way that she should have . She had simply drawn all of her misery into her pictures and filled them with longing , memories ,and heartbreak . There had been no tears . Now she cried for many things .  
Hatters suffering during the time he watched his Queen die a painful and drawn out death , the Queen whos life was lost and a pretty face that would never smile again , her own tasks and fear of failing a whole land . She cried because of the Hatter and his recent outburst , she cried for fear of disappointing everyone by being less than the White Queen was .

She finally heard his voice small and un certain in her ear , " Cricket ?" , a hesitant hand settled on the back of her head and stroked her hair soothingly .

" I'm so sorry , it just happened ,you know " , he tried to make his voice a little lighter but failed , " I'm mad you see , it just happened ."

Alice refused to look at him with her red blotchy face and instead grabbed a hold of his other arm and grasped it tightly as if holding for dear life . She pressed her face into it and proceeded to cry out everything that she hadn't the chance to before . His heart clutched at him and he felt positively dreadful as he felt the wetness of her tears touch his skin . His other hand was still working on her hair , his fingers lacing themselves in her silky golden locks .

" I'll come with you if you wish it ." , he mumbled and waited for a response from her but got none , " Your allowed one escort on your travels to find the ingredients for your crown . I.. I'd very much like to volunteer myself ."

Listening closely he heard the muffled " Uhmhm" from his arm .  
" Well then were just going to have to bare with the madness wont we ? But if the need should arise , will you keep me sane , Alice? "

It was then that she raised her head a little and caught his eyes , " I'm not sure that anyone would be able to manage such a feat . " , there was a shudder in her breath , " Don't change ."

It was true she hated his outburst. It was also true that he had hurt her with it , but she also knew that on a normal day, with a normal outburst – as far as normal went - if she simply said his name or told him to stop he would have .

He was mad , perfectly , wonderfully insane and ridiculous and she knew that no matter what his madness led to weather it be a new form of crazy or an outburst of insanity ,that she would never wish change upon The Mad Hatter .

The longer she felt his fingers tangle and stroke her hair the more content she felt and her worries melted away as her tear exhausted eyes fell into a light sleep .

Tarrant watched her as she fell to sleep against his arm . He had waited a few moments feeling her steady breaths before he slyly slipped her off him as he went guiltily to check her ankle .He was relieved to find that there was no damage and that it had indeed healed quite nicely .

He ran his fingers across and around it just to be sure , checking for any remaining breakages and was satisfied with a clear result . His fingers perhaps lingered a little longer than needed on her delicate flesh before he finally pulled away and proceeded to kneel on the floor beside her as she slept .He was surprised by the words she spoke before she fell into her gentle slumber .

_Don't change_

After his behaviour what a thing to say . Surely Alice was remarkable in many ways , he knew she would make a good Queen for Underland . He knew that she would have made the White Queen proud , for surely she was making him proud . Not only that , he would be beside her to help with her journey and insert his own special madness into her adventures .  
He lowered his mouth to her ear as she slept and whispered quietly inside it.

" Don't change , Alice."


	5. Chapter 4

**Here's another instalment of swoosh for you sweetings .  
I don't really like this chapter at all =/  
I literally forced myself to complete it anyway just because you guys deserve it for such lovely reviews =]  
Do keep them coming 3  
And I do apologise for this chapter , really , I feel as if I'm cringing even uploading it .  
What do you think , I'll leave it up to the readers shall I?**

**Enjoy~ ( I hope)**

Alice awoke alone after her tear prompted nap , still situated in Hatters bedroom .

Her heart was heavy as she thought of the beautiful and very dead White Queen. She should very much like to see her burial site where ever it might be but she was too afraid to ask Hatter to take her . She wanted to leave some roses , say some last words , pay much due respect .It seemed that the topic of the White Queen was still too delicate an issue to pursue with Hatter and Alice did not wish to be on the receiving end of his anger again . Her mind was troubled with thoughts of what was to be expected of her .  
She certainly didn't have many of the White Queens characteristics , nor such ladylike grace .

The voice inside her mind was stopped in its tracks however by a thick and delicious smell that wafted through the small cottage . Her stomach betray her with a small growl . She couldn't remember when the last time was that she ate properly . With that in mind she perched on the side of the mattress and tested her foot on the floor before curiously searching for the source of such pleasant aroma . Her feet were heavy as she shuffled through the door frame taking her achey heart and mind into the what she could only imagine was the living area .

There was plump cushions randomly scattered across the floor thrown this way and that in the form of various different shapes and sizes and colours. There was a large glass cabinet full of what appeared to be hundreds if not thousands of different teas . Mixed teas ,strong teas ,weak teas ,spicy teas ,flavoured teas ,gourmet teas . A strong fire was roaring and looking out a rather cracked window she saw the sun dipping into the horizon. Had she really slept so long ?

She had not been up so long before she had her distressed nap , Alice was never usually one to sleep so much . If anything she was restless , or , she had been . A large circular carpet covered the grey floor boards in front of the fireplace and really looked rather inviting .

Attached to the living area there was a small kitchen space which currently was inhabited by one Mad Hatter .  
It wasn't so hard to believe him wearing a yellow apron around his slender waist and holding a wooden spoon but- the fact he actually was surprised her . He seemed not to notice her silent entry nor as she made her way towards him as he stirred and chopped and checked his cooking . She felt wary of him and kept herself a few paces away when she finally said his name , "Hatter?".  
He was startled by her sudden appearance and whirled to face her with a mad grin on his face .

Ah so he was clearly back to 'normal' then .

" Alice! , your just in time" , he smiled giving one pot a few more stirs before finally turning the hob off , "Go on, Sit down , hurry up you silly girl , before it gets cold. Cold soup is just awful you know. The mice seem to like it though , I always keep some spare for them when I make some."

He continued ranting to no one in particular as Alice, with a small betrayal of unease in her posture ,walked back into the living area and sat on a plump circular cushion . He soon followed after her with a large bowl . Much too large for Alice , of course , she was very hungry , but this could be called over feeding .

Tarrant had begun cooking a small while after Alice fell asleep .

He had watched her for a time and then left , he didn't get to cook for others regularly , and the frail looking young woman on his bed most definitely needed a good feeding . He had been rather proud of himself , rather pleased at his work by time she made herself known to him, but he felt a rather sharp twinge of guilt return as he noticed the distance she put between she and he before speaking . Still he smiled at her , she deserved his smiles as no one else did. Within the painful months of torment and suffering during the illness of the White Queen he did not smile, only at the Queens request , but that wasn't a real smile , not a Hatter smile . In fact he hadn't smiled such a smile in a long while before Alice returned to Underland . What an effect this young lady had on him , he couldn't say he wasn't happy for it .

He had terribly missed being wonderfully silly .  
He noticed how she walked as she made her way to one of his cushions . He could tell her heart was heavy , and , was it possible she was uncertain of him? Certainly he couldn't blame her . No, not after his outburst . He would have no qualms about bursting like that in front of any other creature , but not Alice . Delicate , Beautiful and Fragile Alice .He took a large bowl and filled it to the brim with some steaming soup accompanied by thick slices of buttered bread freshly harvested from the Brutterflies that had a nest near his tea table , then made his way over to her .

He knelt in front of her , handed over the bowl and met her eyes with such intensity as he spoke , " You've been a very naughty girl , Alice Kingsley "

Her breath caught in her throat and she looked away from the green eyes that tried to catch hers , " I don't think I have been naughty" , she retorted suddenly looking like a frightened rabbit in the face of a fire.

Tarrant was unhappy that she looked away from him and more so that he saw a flash of apparent fright cross her features.

He had made such effort to cook for her , to be happy for her sake so she felt secure . He was still grieving inside , surely she wouldn't be so selfish to disregard that just because he got angry . Never had he made so much effort to please anyone before , not so much that he might change himself .

Did she now mistrust him so strongly that she couldn't even hold his gaze and smile? Surely he had a point though , she had indeed been naughty . She hadn't been taking care of her body . She looked like a bloody china doll that would break with only the touch of a finger . In fact his reckoning seemed more the truth than he wanted to accept .

He for one knew Absolom was at times harsh , blunt and very cryptic , but he would have never dropped Alice from a height that wouldn't have been safe for her . He had a nagging feeling within him that her malnutrition had caused weakness in her bones to the point a small drop that should barely have caused bruising almost caused her entire ankle to shatter . He was curious as to what had caused such neglect but once again he decided it was a topic for a different time .

She should be knowing the reason why she had been naughty after all ,it was her body . Although- He was feeling rather like the sane one around her lately , save the earlier outburst .

He felt she was having trouble putting two and three together . But really ,he had done enough damage to their friendship for the day. With this thought he decided to remove his annoyance from her presence as she ate . He glanced at Alice one more time before standing up and caught the little pink tint in her cheeks before walking away . What a peculiar girl , what could possibly be making her blush?

Alice had the bowl of soup balanced on her lap . Her mind was a tangle of knots and there was a feeling in her stomach that had nothing to do with hunger .

Did the Hatter just say a _suggestive_ line?

_" You've been a very naughty girl , Alice Kingsley "_

Much to her embarrassment her cheeks were tainted the most awfully obvious shade of pink . But then again . The Mad Hatter and he wasn't a normal man by any means and in a realistic world any man that said a line like that to a young woman in his presence would have had a sore cheek .  
But Underland isn't a _realistic _world . Back in London only dirty , immoral boys said those kind of things to a woman outside of marriage .

Alice's eyes darted to the door that Hatter had walked out of . Had Hatter _flirted_ with her!?  
Was there any sense of 'proper' here as there was in London? Or is Hatter perhaps mad enough that he didn't care for rules of society .  
Well now she looked back on it , in her previous visit to Underland ,the Knave Stayne didn't seem to have any problem with pinning her against a wall in the Red Queens castle . Perhaps its just the way things happened in Underland .  
But Hatter?! How could she possibly set him back or deny him when he was her only protector in all of Underland . Did she _want_ to set him back?  
After all she had sketched his face so many times over in her absence from his side , missed him and everyone else so terribly .  
However she was completely dependant on him now and needed him .

She didn't want to do anything to jeopardise their friendship , especially quickly after returning .He was the only one in the world like him and oh she thought of him as special .She had a series of tasks that she had to complete with a full mind in order to claim the throne of Underland , he was the only help she had . Her little heart pounded as she thought of the possibilities . She felt jittery and oh so anxious .  
She slowly began to spoon soup into her mouth as she thought over the situation and the best way to deal with it , maybe she just wouldn't say anything , unless of course he over stepped some lines that any lady should put a stop to. At least though , for the time being she could think about it on a happy stomach.

It must have been an hour or so before Tarrant finally made his way back to Alice, the sky was black and starless. He hadn't thought much on her misplaced blush and dismissed it as nothing more than embarrassment that her lack of eating had been noticed by a second party .

He'd gone walking outside mumbling in a light accent as he stalked over leaves taking small pleasure in hearing them crack under his feet . He still however kept a small hold on the rest of his mind in case she should try come find him ,and he could pull out of his ramblings before she noticed his mood was amiss .

Of course she didn't come , but by all the fire in his heart ,she _better_ have eaten properly , every last scrap in her bowl .

When he entered the living area her head snapped up and he attempted a weak smile in her direction . He bent to pick up her bowl from in front of her and was pleased to see it was empty .  
" There now , that wasn't so hard was it ?" , he said gently, " Silly girl , you'll never eat less than this again ."  
She knew what he was talking about . She knew she was thinner , more pointed , " Yes Hatter ." , she said carefully as he moved the bowl aside and sat cross legged in front of her.  
" We have to go to the White Queens castle tomorrow , You'll meet with the rest of the court and the ingredients of your crown with be revealed ."  
She glanced at him then nodded at the ground .  
" I'll be there beside you … we're friends aren't we , Alice?"  
Another nod .A careful nod . A thoughtful nod . A wary nod

He ached inside feeling he was losing the one thing that brought him happiness in such a long period of time . It had taken him one day to destroy it , when he had been a year or more without it . He couldn't help the yellow flash in his eyes . His emotions were unstable .

His anger this time however was directed at himself . With the last shred of self control he had , he once again stood up and exited the room . This woman was causing him get back in the emotional rollercoaster he had been so eager to leave .

Alice had seen his face change , from the corner of her eyes . She pretended she didn't notice . Hoping it would go away if she paid no mind to it .

Instead of speaking he instead briskly left the room , leaving her once again alone . She did feel rather horrible being so vague and blunt with him but she didn't want to lead him on , like silly little girls did to men in London . Hatter , she felt deserved much more respect from her than that , also she didn't want to provoke any advances that she wasn't ready for .

Not that she knew she wasn't ready of course , she just figured she would know when the time was right . So far the right time had not come for her to become a real 'woman' .  
A heavy bang and a crash or two could be heard from the bedroom causing Alice to jump in fright .  
" Hatter!?" , she called out . When she received no reply she hurriedly stood up and made her way to the source of the sound . In the middle of the bedroom or rather , mattress room , Hatter sat with his back against a wall surrounded by pieces of clocks which he must have dragged from the walls and thrown to relieve himself . His eyes looked haunted and hollow .  
" Hatter?" , she whispered and moved to take a place beside him , " Whatever is the matter? You silly ,silly, man"  
When his eyes didn't snap into focus straight away she took his face in her hands and looked him in the eye forcing him to come back to reality , or what was left of it .  
" Cricket , I " , he started before she cut him off .  
" Shush , It's alright " , she cooed giving him a weak smile , " Crazy , mad and wonderful"  
His eyes twinkled slightly their bright green glow returning .  
" Good girl Cricket " , he lifted his hand to her wrist . He leant over and planted a soft kiss on her forehead , " Do forgive me, wont you?"  
She shook her head , " There's nothing to forgive " , she paused and contemplated her next words briefly , " It's just I don't think I'm ready , for any attention that , you feel like , you have to give me . You shouldn't look at me like ..like ..like…that." She swallowed , her entire face hot .

For once Tarrant , The Mad Hatter , had absolutely nothing to say , his entire face as an image of utter confusion .  
What in the name of Underland was she on about ?  
And again with the blushing , what was wrong with this female and the blood flow to her cheeks?  
" If I'm not mistaken, and I'm sure I'm not , you do sound quite mad , Cricket "  
" No! " , she said seriously , " It was you , you said it !"  
"What did I say to distress you so?"  
Her answer came out in a small squeak of words , " That , That I'm a very naughty girl ."

Suddenly , as if a revelation came from the Heavens , he understood why she had been so edgy . He looked at her , blinked several times in astonishment , then threw back his head and laughed .  
" Oh you amazingly mad girl! I was speaking of you not taking care of your body not of any.." , he paused to wipe a small tear , a result of his laughter ,from his eye while he tried to find the right word to explain her thoughts , ".. obscenities . Alice my mind concerning you is a pure as a baby taking its first breath in the middle of spring "  
He pulled her into his arms squeezing her in a hug of happiness that the air was finally cleared between them and grinned a large smile at her . What a terribly unfortunate choice of words .  
When he released her ,her face was still flushed from humiliation but even she tried to force back a few waves of laughter .

She found the Hatters laughter horribly infectious.

Now a new problem was arising in Alice's mind .  
Hatter's thoughts might be pure and innocent , but could Alice claim the same ?

**( Ahem , just for reference – Brutterflies wasn't a typo xD… think a butterfly with bread and butter for wings .…The name isn't very original I know LOL …eeeee) **


	6. Chapter 5

**Ookay , I have changed quite a bit of this chapter and for the better I hope .  
For those of you that read this before it was edited maybe you can judge on the improvements . Previously Hatter was very out of character and the chapter didn't belong here . I'm hoping that I've fixed the problem . me don't wants to keel the Hattahness :P  
Special thanks to **_**Angelwingkitsune**_** – without her I wouldn't have bothered my sorry butt to change anything -.-… ^^ I hope you find the changes satisfactory **

**Enjoy ~**

--

The rest of the evening had gone smoothly .Tarrant had spent the best part of the evening cutting and snipping at various pieces of material with his slender and skilled hands in order to provide Alice with some new clothing since the ones she wore were dirtied and crushed .While he worked Alice was allowed to ask questions regarding her friends and he informed her about their well being . Every little creature large and small was well themselves , health wise ,but still in deep mourning . She would see for herself when she went to the White Queens castle the following day .  
Hatter himself had been in such mourning before Alice's reappearance back in Underland .

If he were to be honest he felt as if she had shone a light into his blackness of his heart . It seemed that when the White Queen died , everything had passed on with her .

For a while the only roses that would grow were the ones that surrounded the glass casing where she lay to rest . Other wise the lands were barren and only weeds would rear their unwelcome heads .  
But now , the wild life of Underland was slowly reverting to how it was before , perhaps sensing a new ruler rising ,but none of the flowers smiled . Not yet .

By the end of the night Tarrant had successfully completed some nightwear for his dear friend and a frock that he insisted to wear to the Castle .  
In relation to nightwear Alice had never seen such a pretty garment in her life . It was a given that all females would sleep in nightdresses back in London , but here she was staring at baggy white silken pants that wouldn't hinder her movement . It was also accompanied by a top that was loose , light and comfortable , also made of the same enchanting shade of white silk . Hatter grinned at her appreciation and gasps of contentment upon tracing her fingers over it . He promptly held up a rather frilly and fluttery looking dress . Something rather princessy. The blue material just covered her knees and looking at it she was reminded of something a fairy might wear . Well her idea of what a fairy might wear.  
Everything had been fine. A comfortable calm between the two friends .

Well ,at least until the problem of sleeping arrangements arose , there was only one mattress and there was two individuals to be well rested for the day ahead .  
Of course Hatter had insisted she sleep in his bed whilst he would find an alternative . He had offered to do so with a genuine smile but still she refused . She had slept excessive amounts since her arrival in Underland . Firstly falling down the Rabbit hole into unconsciousness, but really that wasn't her fault she figured . Then upon arriving at the table she had fallen into a deep slumber in Hatters jacket only to awaken in a teacup , then she just recently had cried herself into a day time nap , and Hatter said she needed more rest?  
It was he who deserved to sleep properly and Alice , in all her Muchness , had put up a very convincing argument about it .  
The conclusion of the argument on who sleeps where was solved by a line of squishy sausage-like pillows lining the middle of the bed . Alice would take the left side , Hatter would take the right side.  
Both of them nodded stubbornly at one another , each trying to take credit for the idea .  
Upon laying down they said good night , and the room was soon filled with soft breaths of sleep .

The undisturbed sleep did not last for long .  
Green eyes opened and stared up at the dark ceiling he couldn't see . He frowned at an unfamiliar pressure pressing against his chest . Two little arms were securely wrapped around him while a very outspoken leg had worked its way over his .  
His standard PJ's were nothing exciting. They were full length and covered him well consisting of only two colours, blue and white . Baggy pants and a button up shirt . Tarrant , although mad , was still a man . Tarrant , as a man , could not ignore the shapely figure curling itself around him .

He gave a little shudder as he tried to gently pry her off his body knowing that if she woke up in such a position that he would most likely be blamed , since he was the one awake . He almost cringed at the thought of her hand slapping him upside down .The visual image was quite comical but he knew the real situation would not be .

While attempting the task of moving her arms she let out a little moan of discontent and simply pressed closer to him .

Letting out a few sober curses he wiggled around ever so slightly attempting to escape the physical cage she had trapped him in , although he did have to admit , it wasn't really an unpleasant feeling . With that thought he vaguely saw the outline of the pillows that had been placed in the middle of the bed before sleeping.  
It seemed they had been purposely , not to mention ferociously kicked from the sleeping vicinity .  
He knew of course that wasn't true and that it was most likely just because Alice was a very athletic sleeper but still he toss a glare at them for causing the compromising situation he was in .

Alice at that moment groaned lightly in her sleep and nuzzled her face into him . He stopped breathing for a few heart stopping seconds thinking she was going to wake up but she simply mumbled . It dawned on him that she was dreaming . Well Alice wasn't the only one that was curious .  
He listened closely to see if he could decipher any key words , he wanted to know what had her clinging to someone, namely him , so intimately while sleeping .  
His breath hitched when out of all the senseless ramblings he heard the word " Tarrant"  
She was dreaming about him ? Was it possible that he wasn't the only sufferer of nightly hauntings ? It made him feel good , very good in fact , that she had not uttered other names along with his . Just his . He only wished he knew what she was seeing in her head .  
He stared down at the figure he couldn't see clearly . Never had she called him by his given name before . His thoughts wandered to Cheshire and the first time she was in Underland . Ah of course , stupid cat , so recklessly saying his name out loud .  
If truth be told he had stopped using his given name and preferred to be called by Hatter or The Mad Hatter . Anything but Tarrant .  
Tarrant held too much misery in his past and felt that by using that name it simply made everything so much more real . He couldn't help but feel however that his name , sounded particularly precious coming from her lips .  
He brought a hand up to where he knew her cheek was and stroked gently . She unconsciously leaned into it provoking a small smile from his lips .

Truly a fallen angel , but she fell down a rabbit hole rather than the heavens .  
He bought his head down to her level and whispered a few hushed words by her ear , " I shant let you leave again Cricket . The whole of Underland forbids it ."  
His lips were half an inch away from her delicate skin .  
The air felt thicker and warmer than he remembered , his eyelids drooped closed , his mouth finding its way above hers .  
He hesitated feeling her light breath against his slightly parted lips . He shouldn't do this , not while she's sleeping , in fact how did he know she would want to do such a thing to him at all ?  
For a simple moment he damned everything else to the fire and back while he pressed his thin lips against her soft rose of a mouth . It was quick , but he had lingered a few seconds , taking in her scent , sampling her taste . Now that he had sampled , oh how he wished to indulge himself in more from the same platter .  
He felt a twinge of what he would call guilt in his stomach . Non consensual kissing wasn't something on Tarrant's list of offences .  
There was once a time when he could charm a woman , please her and treat her well in a relationship , but he had never taken what was not freely given .  
It was a long time ago now , since he had a relationship of any kind and he did get lonely . He was lonely , but he had forgotten how it felt to be loved , so he doubted he would recognise it again . Tarrant was a bad name indeed .  
That being said , he couldn't deny the knotting feeling in his stomach that he felt now as he lay next to her so closely .  
He couldn't deny that his heart thudded strongly in his chest as he pressed his lips to hers in a soft and delicate taster . He rubbed his lips unconsciously then promptly dragged himself out of bed and away from her lest temptation get the best of him .

She would wake up alone , he couldn't trust himself . After all , it had been a long time . A very lonely long time . Not to mention she was to be Queen , what right did he have to the Queen of Underland ?  
But.. she did blush the most wonderful shades of pinks around him .  
He departed the room with his confused thoughts.  
Although Tarrant was very much aware that he was nothing of much appeal in the looks department that could be changed but he was sure she wasn't one to care too much about physical appearances .  
Despite the fact Alice did make clear earlier in the evening that she wasn't ready for such attentions from a man , what did he have to lose ? Perhaps their journey might change her mind somewhat .  
He could hope . Everyone could hope . Sometimes hope was just all there was .  
He didn't assume to say he loved her , not yet . As a friend of course he adored her , but he had been hurt too many times before , had too much taken from him , to claim love . Love would come mutually and not before . Mutually or not at all . Although Tarrant liked to play the fool , he would not be taken as one .  
With those thoughts in his mind he bundled up some cushions in the living room to lay on for the remainder of the night.  
The Mad Hatter was not completely mad in the cranium . Many people had forgotten that he still retained the ability to feel heartache , and more .

Alice awoke the next morning well rested . Her body was sprawled in the most un ladylike fashion across the Hatters mattress . Upon sitting up and rubbing her eyes he promptly burst into the room his thin lips yelling as if to the world , " Up up up , come come Alice it wont do to be late for court you know , you have an awful sense of timing "

He held a tray of tea and toast out towards her coxing her to hurry up .  
She squinted at him and then gave him a sleepy smile , " I'm up "  
He carefully picked up a piece of toast and raised it towards her little mouth . " Eat" , he said watching her reactions. She assessed the movement and then granted the food access .  
Upon the last tiny morsel he popped into her mouth he felt her lips touch his fingertips and gave an inward shiver .  
" I could have eaten myself" , she mumbled , by this time looking shyly down .  
He waved a finger at her and grabbed her hand whisking her on to her feet .  
" Get dressed , we leave in approximately a few dozen twists of a Cheshire cats head "  
Alice raised an eyebrow at him and stifled a giggled behind her hand , " Cheshire cats head?"  
He stared at her stupidly , " Of course , now hurry up its getting late girl" , he snapped and thrust his hand quickly in the direction of the blue dress he'd made for her .  
" Okayyyy, I'm going , I'm going . What's the use of being here if I'm still to be confined to corsets and lace and ridiculous gatherings " , she huffed giving a fake pout . Of course Underland's ridiculous gatherings really were that ,ridiculous , and that's just how she liked it . Hatters material work wasn't half bad either and she wasn't doing him the right amount of justice by comparing it with those awful rib crushing dresses back in London .  
She dressed promptly and then hurried to meet an impatient Hatter on his porch who was tapping his feet restlessly . He really was being very twitchy .He looked at her , a tight smile and offered her his arm . She took it and gave a half laugh . What on earth was wrong with him today ? It was a thought for another time however ,now it was time for business .

As Alice and Tarrant made their journey towards the Castle , Cheshire Cat eyed the pair from the woods . Although accustomed to Tarrant acting well out of the ordinary , there was something about his new closeness to Alice in the way he walked that provoked suspicion . Tarrant had always been rather quick and quirky in the way he made physical contact with someone , but then again perhaps the poor man was just in search of comfort . Surely Alice was a nice friend to have, reliable yes . Cheshire rolled over in his fluid like motion and followed them at a sly distance. After all , keeping watch on those two was much more interesting than lazing the day toying with smaller birds and such .


	7. Chapter 6

**Yay back to fast updates ( well so far so good )  
Once again I'm really sorry about that gap you guys had to wait for the last chapter. Le sigh for being a moody bish . Annnyyywayyyyyyy……  
I am kinda happy with this chapter :P I know I upset some of you with Tarrants character last chapter but maybe this will make you understand a little better…  
You know what makes me happeh…review my dear little chickens **

**Lublublub**

**Extra note : I've made some veryyyy minor edits to this chapter so that everything makes sense =]**

**Enjoy**

Cheshire slinked after Alice and Tarrant until they reached the gates of the White castle . He was terribly disappointed that the trip wasn't more eventful. The only perk was seeing Tarrant walk so impossibly close to her. Understandable certainly , Alice was about to be set upon a journey that would be danger filled and possibly murderous . All depended on the ingredients of her crown .  
Sure the ingredients could be simple but he knew that wouldn't be the case with their dear Alice . Alice held power and he was almost positive that the ingredients of her crown would reflect that .  
It was time he left the pair to their own devices . He rolled comically through the air and floated upward and into a balcony . He would meet them momentarily in the main hall .

Hatter had stopped walking and paused just as they passed through the gates . She understood it must be hard for him to be here .

She saw the mournful look appear on his face and moved her arm from his , grasping his hand reassuringly instead .

" I'm here Hatter , I'm not her but I'm here nonetheless , I wont let your sadness eat up at you like some sort of disease "

Alice had a determined look on her features . Of course she cared about him .  
After his thoughts the previous night it made him feel unworthy of such attention from her.  
He whipped his hand away from her as if it burnt , " I'm okay", he said ,almost too harshly as he walked forward without her .

She scowled at his reaction but decided she would let his behaviour pass for now . He was in pain , she would make exceptions . Though she found it unsettling how quickly he changed from twitchingly happy to morbidly depressed .She followed him slowly and nervously wishing she did have his hand to hold on to . Less now for his comfort than her own piece of mind . She was back in the unfamiliar world of Underland where the most insane thing could be considered a normality , and right now she was feeling so very alone .

Tarrant walked ahead and into the castle .  
His mind and heart pressing annoyingly against one another . Alice had troubled his dreams in her absence . He hated her for tormenting his slumber, he wanted her, he didn't want her , he wished she'd leave his nights sleepless , he wished she'd stay longer .  
Alice had come back , he felt happiness, confusion , he wanted her , he hated himself , he didn't want to want her , but oh how he did .  
It infuriated him at times how his mind worked . How his emotion could change from one to the other in mere seconds .  
How anger could come quicker than the blink of an eye , how the only thing people expected of him now was insanity.  
He could remember every thought that his brain conjured up the previous evening . He remembered how he stole a sweet kiss from her untouched lips and each time she looked at him he felt a wave of shame wash over him . At least he assumed they were untouched ...  
Frankly he felt disgusted at himself for stealing something as innocent and as pure as a first kiss .  
He walked forward with his head lowered feeling unworthy of holding even a finger of Alice's .He would have to talk to Alice about his state of mind regarding his feelings , else they would get in the way . They would cloud his mind when it needed to be sharp .  
He would have to approach this conversation skilfully however , he didn't want to put them both in such a position that she hated him and no longer wished for his protection when it came to collecting the ingredients . She was a hard headed female but oh she would need protection .

As he had walked through the gates he had felt pain in his heart for the loss of Underland's Queen , he had not been at court for the longest time and here the pain was still fresh . It seemed though that grief had sobered him .  
He came to a halt as he stood just beyond the main doors feeling it would b e cruel to let Alice enter the main hall by herself .

When Alice pushed the doors to the Castle open she was most relieved to find Hatter waiting for her solemnly against a wall . He looked rather out of sorts but she assumed it was just the environment they were in . She didn't try to take his arm or his hand again but kept her chin high as he nodded to her and gave her a weak smile . He led the way and she followed him as he walked towards two large and heavy golden doors and pushed .

They stepped into a large circular room . Alice's eyes were wide and somewhat frightened looking .  
There were several men and woman , creatures and other things that were all in assembly in front of her . Row by row they either curtsied or bowed in show of respect . She unconsciously moved her hand to Hatter seeking some sort of familiarity . When he didn't respond to it she shifted her eyes in his direction only to find that his hat was removed and his head to was lowered in show of respect .  
There was a lump in her throat as she looked at the masses gathered before her . She took a shuddering breath , inwardly knowing what she had to do .With a leap of bravery she uttered the words , " Rise."

Promptly the entire room was on their feet , still all eyes were rested on her , some smiled , some were crying , some looked on at her in distaste and others looked on with a curiosity that could reckon with her own . Everyone looked at her expectantly , was she expected to talk? what was she to say? Her heart pounded and she felt rather faint . Suddenly Hatter stepped forward and addressed those in attendance .  
" Oh Creatures , Men ,Women , Children , Vegetation , Spirits , Inhabitants of Underland… Brought forth is the new Queen . We owe her respect as we respected her when she defeated the dreaded Jabberwocky , but now a degree higher!" , he thrust his hands in the air , a serious look painted on his face for a serious message , " Queen Alice has been chosen by the White Queen to succeed her in event of her illness or death , but her majesty is of a new bloodline and so her power and authority will be held to question until she has a crown on her head . We are gathered here today to witness the telling of ingredients our Queens crown will consist of , this is a historical moment and it will give you all an idea of the power that will protect this land when she finally takes the throne ."  
He looked at Alice and held out his hand with his head lowered .  
He felt her hand shake in his palm , she had never seen Hatter be so serious . He walked through the crowd of people and into the centre of the room stopping in the middle . His eyes levelled with hers and he whispered quietly words that only she could hear , " It'll be okay Cricket… close your eyes "  
Alice let her lids close and felt Hatter put a finger on her forehead .

Tarrant watched her comply with him which only worsened the guilt he felt about his previous action towards her . She trusted him . He cleared his throat and began an incantation that would reveal to him the ingredients needed to construct her crown . He could see Alice frowning ,trying to listen to his mumblings because that is indeed what they were . Mumblings , but very effective mumblings at that .

The surrounding air was filled with power and felt static against the skin of onlookers . His eyes had turned the most intense shade of blue . His head filling with information . His face became darker the more he was connected with the power that swirled forbiddingly around him. Eventually he dragged his forefinger from Alice's forehead and fell back with a gasp that gave the impression he had been drowning . The crowd around the two watched the display intently , wide eyed and startled .

Tarrant clutched his heart as he doubled over trying to regain his breath and energy . He had never participated in an event such as this before but he thoroughly thought that the spell he just uttered should most definitely have come with a safety warning . Oh the things he saw . Poor Alice . Poor him to he figured . He raised his head and collected himself , standing straight , his facial expression speaking volumes. His lips pressed into a thin line and his jaw tight .

Alice watched him worriedly anticipating bad news . Perhaps she wasn't compatible with Underland . She wasn't from here after all. A tight feeling clenched her stomach . She wouldn't go back to London . If they didn't need her she'd stay anyway . Her eyes pleaded with Hatter and he decided that what he had seen had to be said . He took a step forward and burst straight into topic .

" A single Phoenix feather from the mountain tops of Adarzel, representing new life , regeneration and healing properties "  
"Half a dozen sapphires from the Mines of Lucioran , for rarity , strength and beauty"  
" And…A rose from the enchanted forest in the Fae Realm of Lehdorias , representing love , devious characteristics and a majik bound by duty "

His voice had faltered on the last ingredient and several gasps resounded around the room . Alice looked around .  
She could tell by the pitying expressions that her task of gathering what she needed was going to be a very difficult one indeed . Even those that had looked down at her upon her entrance had faces painted a picture of pity and shock . Hatter himself seemed to have slipped into a small trance .  
A voice sounded in question from the crowd, " And if she fails , what is Underland supposed to do without a ruler!?"  
Trance ended .  
Tarrant's eyes fixed on the questioner and his face twisted into a picture of rage , his eyes flashing the most malicious shade of yellow . A heavy accent penetrated the air , " Ai cud tear ye apart wee man piece by wee fleshy , bloody piece , if ye dare disrespect the new Queen of yer Lund again ! "

He began to advance towards the trembling man in the crowd before Alice realised the danger he was in , " Hatter!" , she shrieked , " Stop !"

Immediately Tarrant's shoulders slumped and he threw a sheepish and apologetic look at her , " Sorry" , he squeaked .

He walked back to Alice's side and addressed the crowd again who was now extremely wary of him.

" If Queen Alice succeeds she will be the most powerful being Underland has ever seen . Your Queen is strong , have you all forgotten so easily the beheading of the Jabberwocky!" , his eyes softened and he looked at her , " You may choose your escort ".

She was thrown rather off balance that he was asking her to choose , after all she thought that he was already chosen by default.  
Judging by everyone else's reactions she was going to face unspeakable danger ,perhaps he was insisting she choose someone else .  
Though , there was no one else she wanted .  
She raised her eyes to his as if asking silent permission to choose him . He gave the smallest nod that wouldn't be noticed by any of the on lookers .  
" I choose , The Mad Hatter as my escort " , she spoke but felt her voice coming out rather weakly . She watched him bow in front of her ,taking her hand and leaning his head on it .  
" I will fight , live and die in order to protect you your majesty."  
Now most certainly wasn't the time to blush but she wasn't used to the attention and despite her curiosity she was a rather shy female when it came to men and random people bowing down to her .

She heard a few sighs of relief as she uttered "Hatter" .  
She moved her eyes in the direction that most of the sighs came from and noticed several men in chain mail exchanging a few little smiles amongst each other . She could only imagine they were knights . One of them caught her looking and lowered his head in respect . She threw a small scowl at him and turned back to Hatter who was still on his knees . She had no time for cowards . Pffft some knights they are .  
She moved her hand from Hatters head and touched his cheek softly motioning for him to get up .  
Slowly people began to depart having seen the main event . No one was interested in what she did now until she had a crown on her head . In fact many had already written her off as deceased . How could such a dainty female survive the trials before her that made the Jabberwocky look friendlier and less harmful than a Brutterfly? Surely she had shown strength and courage to behead the Jabberwocky ,but she was going to need more than strength and courage to come out of her ordeal breathing .  
She was going to need cunning and know how . They only hoped Hatter didn't meet his end on their travels .Back in the day he was quite an amusing fellow , and he did make quite wonderful hats.

After the hall had cleared there was only a few individuals left . A large grin spread across her face as she identified each one.  
She kissed Tweedledee and Tweedledum on the forehead causing them to look down at the ground shyly .  
She almost stood on Mallymkun as she ran to White Rabbit who was fidgeting with his little gold watch . She hugged the rabbit and apologised to Mallymkun throwing the little dormouse a fond look . The small blood hound Bayard yipped excitedly round her feet , his tongue out comically .  
The Dodo bird simply watched the gathering beside Hatter who had a very light smile touching his lips .

As soon as Alice saw a little blue flicker that appeared to be Absolom she lunged at it . " You! You dropped me!"

Absolom evaded her grabbing hands , " You hurt your self by neglect , stupid girl" , he flitted as far away from her as possible feeling no compulsion to stay .  
They would meet again though . Alice glared after him knowing that his evaluation was true . It was more than likely she wouldn't have been hurt if she had been taking proper care of herself prior to falling to Underland . She noticed the absence of Hatters friend the crazy March Hare .  
" Wheres Thackery? " , she questioned . Hatters lips didn't have a chance to open before Cheshire floated on his belly in front of her .  
" I do believe ,that mental case ,was hopping around the woods this morning , something about collecting a new flavour for tea?"  
Tarrant let out an " Ah" sound and inwardly shuddered . Anything Thackery Earwicket collected for …well anything…always seemed to turn out rather grotesque .  
Alice smiled at Cheshire promptly proceeded to scratch behind his ears . A loud purr echoed around the room . Tarrant allowed the word " suckup" escape from his mouth as he shot a brief glare at the cat . Damned cat .  
" Right!" , Hatter yelled startling mostly everyone around him , " Off we go!"  
Alice's eyes went wide . They were leaving now?  
" Wait , Hatter , Where!?"  
He smiled seeing her panic .  
" A goodbye cup of tea with friends , come now Cricket , there's more frightening things in the world than sitting next to Cheshire ." His eyes shot over to the cat and added in a lower voice , " maybe more frightening but far more welcome"

Alice heard and stifled a giggle .  
" To the table then? " , she asked.  
" But of course , where else would the most wonderful tea exist?"

Alice shook her head smiling . How modest of him . She felt very content , happier than she'd felt in a long time . She was surrounded by friends and light heartedness . It was a feeling she was clinging to and thankfully Hatter was in a pleasant mood again . She realised that if she was going to be spending so much time with him that she would have to get used to the mood swings .  
She wouldn't have it any other way . Not really .

* * *

**For reference _Lehdorias_ , _Lucioran_ and _Adarzel_ are all figments of my imagination ...i hope they dont sound too retarded ...heh xD**

**Thanks for reading!**


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